Dr. Phyllis Beth Mercer

Phyllis B. Mercer was born October 9, 1939 top Otha I. and May Scoggins Mercer in Lakeview, Texas. She spent the first six years of her life in Texas then the family moved to Delta County Colorado in 1946. She attended Hotchkiss Elementary, Jr. High and High School graduating from Hotchkiss High School with the Class of 1957. She continued her education in the fall by attending Western State College. She graduated from Western State College University in 1961 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Education. She began her teaching career on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in Poplar, Montana. After completing her contract, she headed to Billings where she went to work for Shell Oil Company as a stenographer, transcribing and recording drilling reports. Her next stop in her teaching travels was Tehachapi High School in Tehachapi, California in August of 1964. From Tehachapi she travelled to East Texas State University in Commerce, Texas where she completed both her Masters and Doctorate Degrees. Next stop was Texas A. & I. University in Laredo to teach business and be an assistant to the President. Texas heat then gave way to Wyoming cold with a move to Riverton, Wyoming in the fall of 1977 to teach at Central Wyoming College. The heat of Texas called once again in 1981 with a move back to Denton where she taught at Texas Woman’s University for the remainder of her career retiring in 2011. Colorado called once more and she moved back to Grand Junction in 2016 where she remained with Tommie and Phillip until September of 2019 when she moved into The Lodge at Grand Junction. She relocated in July of 2020 to Eagle Ridge of Grand Valley where she remained until her passing.

Survivors include her sisters Linda Vest and Tommie Crim, brother-in-law Phillip Crim, three nephews, two nieces, ten grand nieces and nephews, and seven great grand nieces and nephews, plus many friends and acquaintances.

Viewing will be from 8:00 am until 10:00 am on Saturday, September 12, 2020 at Callahan-Edfast Mortuary with Services following at 10:00am. Burial will be in Mesa View Cemetery in Delta, Colorado following the services.